Thoughts of a Survivor
by Soldier Of The Mist
Summary: She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight like her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}
1. Morbid Woods

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** This is my first 5th Wave fanfiction, so I hope you will enjoy it. Please tell me if you want it to be a full story or just a one-shot.

* * *

 **~•~** Nicole Haynes **~•~**

* * *

I didn't expect it.

Nobody did.

Before, I was an average girl with big hopes and dreams. Including, a loving family who supported me no matter how ridiculous they were as well as friends that made me see the reality of it all.

Gosh, I even had a crush on a boy that was considered untouchable. This "dream relationship" was a complete impossibility.

In the end, that all changed.

For me . . .

For you . . .

For _everyone_ . . .

These continuous concepts only plagued me after the Waves. Upsurges that were sent to us from the Others loitering above us—watching as we starved and pleaded for mercy.

 _I was normal._

 _I was safe._

 _I believed._

Even at this dangerous moment, I thought of it again . . . Of everything that was our past lives. I even thought of him.

The boy I thought I loved.

How he would smile at me and make my stomach twist from nerves. How the light shone upon his dark hair and those sweet, brown eyes.

How I thought he could possibly like me and of the moments filled with sparks every time he was close by.

Those moments I desired to have again.

I mulled over the way my parents would find creative ways to talk about him, making me frantically blush which would only cause them to smile over the cuteness of it . . .

 **~•~**

 _"So, Nicole," Dad began. "When do we get to see the boy you like?"_

 _"Probably not any time soon," I said, smirking. " Besides, I don't even know if he likes me back."_

 _"You're just worried that he's going to_ Parish _in my hands."_

 _"Ha ha," I said, sarcastically._ _I could feel my cheeks reddening for the hundredth time that day. My family just won't stop with the_ Ben Parish _puns. "How long did that take to make?"_

 _"Just about a few hours."_

 **~•~**

. . . and about my friends who would push me in Ben's path at the most embarrassing moments to incite a relationship. I could still hear them giggling as I made an anxious attempt at conversation.

 **~•~**

 _My legs turned into jelly in a matter of seconds. I couldn't help but gaze around the football field to avoid any eye contact with the football star, my crush ever since middle school._

 _I just had to come meet Ashley and Veronica after cheerleading practice._

 _"Oh, uh, hi, Ben," I stuttered._

 _He smiled in greeting._

 _Why did they have to throw me in the way of a very sweaty Ben Parish? The sweat only appears to increase his handsomeness._

Curse his good looks, _I thought._

 _"Hey, Nicole," he greeted, kindly._

 _"I have a quick question. I-I just wanted to know, um, if that—if you like cotton balls?"_

Cotton balls? Really?

 _"Yeah, I guess?" he answered, confused. I could see him tense up as the sound of his coach yelling for him._

 _"Oh, okay," I murmured. "Um, bye now_."

 **~•~**

I wonder what everyone thought of that. A silly girl trying to ask out or even flirt with the most popular guy in school.

How ridiculous.

And now, I couldn't help but imagine what population were thinking of doing now to survive: killing, stealing, murdering, etc.

All because of the _Others._

 _Aliens._

What we thought was fiction was reality. The various books and theories surrounding the topic were all wrong except for one small fact.

They want to take over the world.

Why else would they send Waves that affect humans the most? I mean, each Wave had a significance for human life:

 **First Wave:** The electricity was wiped out. The Others probably knew about our major dependence on technology. Almost everyone in the world at least had a cell phone they constantly use.

 **Second Wave:** They used the forces of the Earth against us. Without the help of technology, nobody could predict the approaching earthquake and the massive tsunamis that tore across our continents.

 **Third Wave:** The avian disease became invincible. The Others manipulated the disease to be merciless with only a handful of recoveries. These recoveries only appeared among those who were immune.

 **Fourth Wave:** The Others are among us. I heard rumors from a grouped I (momentarily) joined that said the Others could possess the human body and control every thought and movement.

I looked out into the woods and sighed.

Such morbid thoughts couldn't help me now.

Especially now.

I look around for anything I could use to my advantage. Anything to protect me from the dangers of this invasion. There were none.

The animals were especially quiet. It seems they have also sense our unease.

I scrambled out from under the brush to get a clear view of the woods ahead.

There were too many broken or loose branches pressing against me as I did—forcing me to backtrack. I silently pulled my gun out from my holster.

"Where are you?" I murmured.

The quiet stretched into what felt like a suffocating coffin. I looked around me, frantically searching for my target. A _snap_ echoed loudly behind me.

Startled, I pointed my gun at the site the sound came from.

After close examination, I found an innocent doe staring at me with blank eyes before jumping over my hiding place.

I sighed with relief.

Another personal Wave for us humans.

 _Paranoia._

 _Distrust._

I haven't seen another person being in weeks—not even a glimpse of my family. I'm not even sure if they are alive.

Mom the shopaholic.

Dad the protector.

Kyle the bad boy.

Reyna the little angel.

"Where are you?" I asked the ghosts in my head.

I missed them with every fiber of my being. I had searched my old home in a search for clues only to find in a mess. Nothing was saved from the Waves.

"Where are―"

 _Click._

Cautiously, I turned to face my attacker. I glowered through the brush and slowly made out the figure of a man.

 _A man with a gun._

After a small pause, I spoke.

"It's your choice," I said, calmly. "Do I live or . . . die?

* * *

 **I hoped you enjoyed this one-shot.**

 **I'll see if I should let it stay a one-shot or a chapter filled story.**

 **Please R &R.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mis** t


	2. Embers of a Dim Fire

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hi, Fanficters! I decided to change it into a chapter-filled story because why not. Now, I present to you . . . _Chapter Two: Embers of a Dim Fire._

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes_ **~•~**

* * *

"Who are you?"

The man still had his gun pointed at me, but he had a slight gleam in his eyes. I read enough books to know not to trust a gleam.

"That is the most cliché thing you can say," I retorted.

As I was stalling, I crawled back as slowly and carefully as I could. A few moments ago, I dropped my gun a few feet away making me even more vulnerable in his eyes.

 _Frightened prey._

"Who are you?" he hissed again.

I swallowed. "Nicole Haynes."

I slowly inched towards the gun. He hasn't seen the gun yet, so my actions should definitely surprise him.

"You're human," he stated.

"Really? I thought I was a mermaid," I spat. "Why? Does my look lack a bit of charm for a sea princess?"

He growled. He lowered the gun until it pointed at the ground, but that didn't settle my unease. Just a bit more, I thought. Your almost to the . . .

A foot kicked the weapon out of my reach.

A woman kneeled down next to me with a switchblade in her hand. Though it might not seem like much, it was better than the machete on her side or the rifle across her back.

"He may be hesitant to shoot a girl but not me," she warned.

She patted her rifle fondly.

"I answered your question . . . Now, answer mine: Who are you? Are you an Other?" I shouted, crawling away.

I can't take two people at all. Even if they weren't possible Others, I thought, frustrated.

"Name's Ramsey and that cowardly man over there is Tuck," the woman said, bored. "Honestly, honey, do you think you would even be alive if we were Others?"

I was silent.

I never personally saw any Others, but I heard rumors on how you could tell the difference between a human and an Other. That still didn't mean I should let my guard down.

Tuck harshly grabbed my arm and yanked me from my hiding spot. He pushed me forward towards the direction of the broken road.

"Hey! Where you taking me?" I protested.

"A camp," Tuck said in his rough voice.

Tuck continued. "We were told by a fellow hunter that there was safety at a camp called Camp Ashpit. In the camp, survivors had created a community that promised protection and food."

"Be happy we're taking you along, hon," Ramsey muttered. "We could have left you for that trap there."

She pointed at a nearby dead tree. The wind blew the leaves away to reveal a piece of rusty metal― a bear trap.

"Some poor idiot must've left it a week before the First Wave," she said. They both chuckled at the thought.

My eyes widened at the sight of the bear trap.

I was about to crawl there. Just a few more . . .

"Thank you," I whispered.

Tuck let go of my arm when he heard of my submissive tone. He pushed past me and Ramsey and quickly took the lead.

 _Ugh . . . Men!_

"Not a man of many words?" I mused to Ramsey.

She snorted. "That's an understatement. That little talk of the camp was the longest thing he said before and after the invasion. Works well for the both of us anyway. Where were you when it started?"

My suspicion rose even higher.

 _Not many people care about each other anymore, so why are they?_

 _I can't run away now. They're armed!_

 _Don't let your guard down._

She noticed my suspicion and answered the question herself.

"Tennessee. Well, we were there at the first alien ship sighting," she explained. "Our cousins brought us along to Ohio to have 'end of the world fun.'"

"Why would come here? There was a stinking alien ship right above us?" I said, incredibly.

"We wanted one last memory to remember the old days. The days before the Waves, the days before the arrival of the ship."

She gave me a calculated look. "What about you, sweet pea? Where's your family"

"I was at a camping trip― Well, more of an escape trip― when it happened. My parents stayed behind to gather our things along with my older siblings."

"And?"

"That's it. I haven't seen them since."

She nodded.

A whistling sound broke the silence of the woodland creatures. Crickets, owls, and every creature returned into their former state.

Tuck signaled at Ramsey.

Another nod.

"Tuck wants to set camp," she told me. "You know how to make a fire?"

 **~•~**

Light surrounded the exhausted features of the man and woman before me. This gave me a better view of them.

Tuck and Ramsey looked around their early thirties with dark hair and bright eyes. They each wore overalls over thin clothes like the ones someone would wear at a farm.

They looked very similar to each other.

I later found out they were twins.

Twins who were the last left of the Morgenstern family.

"We should Tuck in, Tuck," Ramsey teased.

Tuck gave her a sharp look before dragging himself towards his worn tent. His sister quickly followed him in the same manner to the neighboring tent.

She turned her head. "You coming, hon. You can share with me."

I shook my head. "No, I want to be alone."

She gave me an understanding look and headed into her tent. At the sound of the zipping tent, I gave a long sigh.

A sudden thought of leaving came to my mind, but it was gone as soon as it came. If I wanted to live, I was going to need help. They were right about them not being Others, for they showed no action of malice.

"Where are you?" I asked the air.

The air caressed my face gently. I closed my eyes and imagined my mother singing to me while fixing my dirty hair.

Those were the last words I heard from them.

 _My parents' last words_.

"Where are you?"

Silence.

"Are you okay?"

More silence.

"I need you."

I stared into the dying embers of the fire. The dim light was enough to let a tear fall. It wasn't only a dim fire, but it was what Earth is now.

 _Dark with little light._

 _Fear with little hope._

My stomach clenched at the thought.

My mother always told me fear and hope worked together in unusual ways. Without fear, there would be no hope for a possible future.

I remembered how Kyle would scoff at that and say it's just an impossibility. We hope even without fear.

Though, I think she meant something more than what she said. An internal fear of the unknown coming to life.

I look at the embers once again.

 _Embers of a Dim Fire_

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Tell me what you think of Tuck and Ramsey.**

 **Please R &R your opinion.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


	3. Where Are The Others?

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hi, Fanficters! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I'm really enjoying writing this fanfic. Also, I have no knowledge on parts of a gun, so if i get something wrong, sorry. Now, I present to you . . . _Chapter Three: Where Are The Others?_

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes_ **~•~**

* * *

"How far until we reach camp?"

I pushed a branch away from me as we climbed up a hill. We left at first light of the morning which only gave us a few hours of sleep each.

Ramsey took out a map out of her dirty overalls before opening her mouth to answer before being interrupted by her brother.

"Only a few more miles if we cut through these woods," Tuck answered.

I looked for an extra map in his hands only to find none.

The Morgenstern girl only smirked.

"You got the map memorized, didn't ya?" Ramsey said, unsurprised.

He grunted before speeding up the last few steps to the top. A cool breeze spread throughout the forest causing a shiver to hit my aching bones.

Ramsey noticed and took out a thin jacket out. "Here, sweetheart. It's all I got, but it's better then nothing."

I thanked her and slipped it on. The warmth of jacket kept most of the cold away, but the occasional breeze appeared to hit my bones.

"Could you pass me the canteen?" I shouted at Tuck.

He reluctantly slowed down and gave me the clear blue canteen. I ran out of water a few hours before they found me.

 _Another slap of vulnerability in my face,_ I thought furiously.

I took a quick sip.

"I wish I could return to those times when all I had to worry about was what clothes to wear the next day," I muttered.

"I'd rather not return at all," Ramsey stated. "We were all oblivious to what was happening, but now we're more alert than ever."

"You don't want to be a little girl again?"

She gave a look. "We didn't exactly have a good childhood."

With that said, she raced after her brother. I was left to wonder what could have happened. A list began to form in my head: abuse, bullying, mugging . . . .

 _ **See, the Others are only trying to helping you . . . To wipe out the malicious actions of humans.**_

I jumped at the sound of the voice. I turned around and look for someone or anyone that could have possibly said that.

There was nobody there.

Ramsey sensed my unease. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

 _ **No, you're not.**_

The voice wasn't coming from the woods. It wasn't from a stealthy person or an Other. It's coming from inside me . . . _Inside my brain._

 _Who are you? What are you,_ I asked in a panic.

The voice stayed quiet.

My heart sped up to an alarming rate. What is going with me? What is that voice? Am I going crazy? Was it a new Wave?

"You sure you're alright?" Ramsey questioned. "You look kinda pale, sweetie."

 _"I just . . . need a . . . little . . . break,"_ I panted.

Tuck shot a glare at my direction. "Well almost there. I think you can survive one more mile."

"Tuck, she―"

"She can survive on more mile," he growled at his sister.

Ramsey had a stunned expression on her face. He must've never shouted at his twin before, so what changed?

"Ok" was all Ramsey could say.

 **~•~**

At the first sight of the camp, we all ran at the man shouting orders at the kids behind him, who were messing around with a collapsing little shed.

The man turned to us and smiled at us. "Hello! Welcome to Camp Ashpit."

He began to explain the sections of this small refuge. How there was a farm at a certain direction and where fresh water was provided, but I wasn't paying attention.

All I could concentrate was the people.

 _Survivors._

 _ **Not for long**_ , the voice said, amusingly. _**Not for long**_.

"What?" I asked out loud.

"What did you say?" the old man asked.

I shook my head.

"Nothing. Nevermind."

We headed to an unoccupied spot near the edge of the camp where we unpacked and set the Morgenstern's dirty, worn tents.

I took out my canteen and headed to where the pure water was stored. After my refill, I explored the last human survivors.

They each had a tent or a small, weak shed besides the remaining cabin in the area. There seemed to be many of them.

 _They're actual survivors . . ._

 _Human beings working together . . ._

 _Living._

I smiled at the thought.

As the sun came down, I found myself laughing with the small children around a fire. They each had a smile on their faces and a hopeful gleam in their eyes.

"I got to go," I told them.

They waved goodbye before turning their attention back to the storytelling boy. I smiled for the hundredth time that day.

 _I haven't had this much fun since . . ._

 _ **Since the invasion**_ , the voice finished. _**What happened to keeping your guard up?**_

I paused.

Unfortunately, the anomaly was right.

I couldn't lose myself to become oblivious again. I lost so much, but I let myself get distracted to the hopes of the camp.

I took out my pistol from my boot and look for extra ammunition in my pockets. I pushed the bullets in their appropriate place before putting the safety lock.

I took a hesitant step towards the Morgenstern tents. While taking those steps, I criticized myself about forgetting the situation we are in.

I found Tuck whittling a piece of wood outside his tent. I was about to enter my tent― well, Ramsey's― when he spoke.

"How do you find camp?"

I look at him. "It's fine."

"It doesn't sound like it."

"We're all still in danger," I whispered. "There is nothing we can do to change that."

He grunted in agreement. "Nice to see someone realize that."

"What about you?" I asked.

"What about me?"

"The camp. What do you think about the camp?"

He gave me a decisive look. When he gave no answer, I turn back around towards the tent when he answered.

"I think we're all going to die."

I pushed the flap and got inside the tent. I swallowed as I repeated in my head what he said. _I think we're all going to die._

I laid down next to a snoring Ramsey as the statement stirred many emotions in my head. All I could think of the next question in my mind:

 _Where are the Others?_

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Please R &R**

 **-Soldier Of The Mist**


	4. Safety's Calling

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hi, Fanficters! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. "Don't Let Me Down" by the Chainsmokers ft. Daya was playing while I wrote this, and thought it was fit with the situation. Now presenting . . . _Chapter 4: Safety's Calling._ Enjoy!

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes_ **~•~**

* * *

"What is that?"

I was woken up by the rumbling ground when Ramsey asked the question. We both got out of the tent and blinked against the bright light.

The whole camp was gathered around in a semi-circle at the entrance as a cloud came towards the awaiting camp.

"Ramsey," I said, startled.

"I don't know, sweetie," she said in the same tone.

We pushed past the crowd until we were at Tuck's side. We gained a better view of the approaching rolling clouds of dust.

The clouds cleared the closer they came till we saw the object.

It was a car!

 _An . . . actual. . . . working . . . car!_

"I thought the cars didn't work."

I turned and saw a blonde girl with a confused look tell a man― possibly her dad― beside her. She was holding a little dark haired boy close to her as she too studied the phenomenon.

There wasn't only a car.

A line of buses followed the cars inside as the confusion of the people grew. _How did they make the cars work? Electricity was wiped out from the Earth._

The vehicles paused and soldiers jumped from the their doors.

A man held up a speakerphone and addressed the remaining group of surprised humans. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Colonel Vosch from the United States army. My men and I are from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base . . . We're here to help."

The crowd around us exploded with joy from the news. I smiled and hugged Ramsey from the adrenaline pounding in my veins.

"We're going to make it," she whispered.

 _ **Sure you are**_.

I jumped at the voice. The anomaly still caused a shiver to enter my bones whenever it made itself present.

 _We are_ , I told it confidently.

Vosch ordered us to go pack our items and to head to our designated areas. The message was split between adults and children.

Children headed towards the buses.

Adults to the mess hall for a briefing.

As I packed my stuff, a deep sense of worry was causing an ache in my heart. The Morgenstern twins noticed this and came to my side.

"Thank you," I whispered. "For protecting me."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Ramsey said, warmly. "We'll still be together at Wright-Patterson. We'll just go in different rounds."

"You sure?" I asked, tentatively.

"Yeah," Tuck responded.

Then, he did something that surprised me.

He gave me a hug.

 _A hug!_

I broke the walls of the rock wall within a few hours of knowing each other. Who knew? As quickly as it came, he left and joined the adults. I hugged Ramsey before following him out.

We walked towards the unused, dirty pool where we said our goodbyes before separating to our destiny. That destiny was freedom.

 _ **Freedom for some people.**_

 _Stop it!_

I stood in line for one of the first buses when the family I saw earlier were stopped by a soldier. The blonde girl had a defiant look on her face while her father was confused as he argued with the camouflaged man.

I continued to watch as I slowly climb the steps when a boy shoved me forward. With a quick glare, I headed to the back of the bus.

Minutes later, the blonde girl and her brother climbed with one of the last teens. The boy sat down a few seats behind me near the doors.

"Alright, Sam. Alright," the girl muttered.

 _"Bear!"_ Sam exclaimed.

"What?"

"I forgot Bear, Cassie!"

"What, Sam? What?"

"Please, I can't go without him! Please!"

Cassie thought for a second before crumbling and told him to stay put, and that she'll come back. The boy looked at her with serious look. "You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

She gave one last glance at him before running out of the bus. The boy looked around nervously when he saw me staring.

He waved me over to him.

I reluctantly stood up and sat beside him. _Hasn't he been taught not to talk to strangers,_ I thought, surprised. I sat down uneasily and gave him a small wave. _It might help his nerves,_ I thought.

"Hi, I'm Sam. Sam Sullivan."

"Nicole. Nicole Haynes," I said.

He smiled.

"What was your dad talking about back there?" I asked.

"Vosch wouldn't let my dad inside the bus," he said with a frown.

I nodded. "Yeah, they have a meeting place to be at for a briefing. He looked kind of annoyed though. What else did he say?"

"There . . . was a . . . a, uh, a threat in the camp," he remembered. "They had to stay behind for that."

"A what? Did he say―"

The bus' engine was ignited and a look of alarm went through Sam's face. "Cassie! Where's Cassie, Nicole?"

"She'll be back. They are just warming up the bus for the trip." I looked for any excuse to keep the young boy from panicking. "They did say it was hours away . . ."

The bus inched forward increasing the boy's fear. "Hey, wait! Hey! You're going to leave my sister," he shouted at the driver.

The bus driver must've been deaf because he didn't stop at all to the cry. I looked outside to see Cassie Sullivan running behind us.

"Hey, mister! There is a girl running after us. Stop!" I shouted.

I started to climb up the aisle, but the kids only pushed me back in annoyance when I swatted their arms aside. I could only shout at the man at the wheel with no results.

"Cassie," Sam sobbed. "Cassie."

I took a look at the back doors to see the last glimpse of the blonde girl hugging the tiny teddy bear in her hands.

 **~•~**

"It's okay, Sam. It's okay."

The boy hasn't stop crying for the last hour and a half. My heart ached again at my lack of comfort that I gave to Sam Sullivan. I don't know how to calm him down or anything that made him tick.

"She'll be back," I tried to assure him. "She promised didn't she?"

He hugged me harder and nodded.

"Does she ever break her promises?"

He shook his head.

After minutes of tears and comfort, Sam's breathing became steady and his grip loosened around me.

"Feel better?" I ask gently.

"Yeah," he replied.

A thought entered my mind. "She'll join the adults when they arrive."

He smiled at that.

Sam looked out the window as the sky darkened around the beaten Earth. Stars glowed brightly against the murky darkness.

The bus speaker turned on and gave the kids a relieving message:

 _"We have arrived at Wright-Patterson― or Camp Haven if you wish. Your new home and protectors for now on."_

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Please R &R.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


	5. Call Me Phoenix

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hey, Fanficters! I don't have anything to say today . . . Lol! Anyway, I present you . . . _Chapter Five: Rising Phoenix._

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes_ **~•~**

* * *

"Camp Haven," I said, testing the words.

I slid on the straps of our backpack before we followed the kids onto the awaiting doors of our saviors. The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base had come to the rescue.

As we descend the steps of the bus, a man stood nearby passing out pieces of metal while repeating the sentence _"Stand in the red circle. Wait for your number to be called."_

I grabbed Sam closer to me as I expected our surroundings. Fences and armed soldiers surrounded the hanger in a very tense manner. The dark sky making eerie shadows on their faces intensifying the atmosphere.

We followed the kids to the red circle where another soldier called out listed numbers at the group of kids before him.

After hours of waiting, my number was called at the front.

 _"Two ninety-four! Two ninety-four!"_

I looked down at the metal again to make sure it's the right number. I turned to Sam and said," I'll see you inside, okay?"

He nodded.

 _"Two ninety-four!"_

"I'm here!"

I push through the crowd of kids until I reach the hollering soldier. He nodded at me before we walked to the open doors of the hanger.

He guided me through the building's hallways and left me inside a room filled with chemicals― a doctor's office.

I looked at the mirror on the wall to expect what the weeks of running had done to me. I was upset with what I saw almost immediately.

I saw a broken girl standing in front of me.

Her ebony hair was filled with knots and dirt with brown frightened eyes. Her clothes were rumpled and filled with patches in places from all the running she had to do to survive.

 _I'm not the same girl anymore_ , I thought. _I'll never be her anymore._

 _ **You're even better**_.

 _Leave me alone._

Surprisingly, I sensed a pressure loosed in my mind. If I concentrated hard enough, I felt its presence there, but it was slumbering.

The door open to let a woman in a military suit inside. She gave me a small smile and gestured for me to sit down.

She pulled out a small flashlight to expect my eyes. During this investigation, she ask me a series of questions.

"What's your name?"

"Nicole Haynes."

"Did they give you a nickname at the quarantine?" She asked, curiously.

"No," I answered. "I didn't stick around long enough."

"Do you want one?"

I thought for a second. "Phoenix. Call me Phoenix."

I wasn't the weak Nicole anymore. I had grown out of my shell and saw the real world. I was burnt by the fire, yet I rose from the ashes― just like the Phoenix.

"Ok, Phoenix. Any surviving family?"

"Not that I know of."

She nodded. She took out a stethoscope and began to check my heartbeats. "Do you have anyone else with you?"

"Sam Sullivan," I whispered, his sobs echoed through my head.

"Is he a friend?"

"He is . . . a promise I must keep."

I must protect him until his sister or his father gets back. Anyone who knows him personally. _I don't want him to end up like me. Alone._

She took out a small needle-like object from the table. "This a tracker. You guys are now the top priority of Camp Haven. We must make sure of where you are at all cost."

"Why must you track me?"

"We must know where you will be when your on the battlefield . . . You will learn to fight the Others."

"What?"

"You are young, Phoenix," she explained. "Stronger, faster than us older soldiers. You're our advantage in this war."

She put an anesthetic on my neck and shot the tracker into my neck. I rubbed the spot cautiously as she put the injector aside.

She then pushed my chair towards the mirror.

Or to what I thought was a mirror.

She pressed a button and the mirror became clear. A young girl was seated across from me with cables connecting onto her curly head.

"She looks normal, yes?"

Her blonde hair framed her baby face in a sort of elegance. Her blue eyes were glazed as if a drug was given to her awhile ago. Her clothes had no difference in roughness from mine.

"Yeah," I said finally.

"Well, she is not what you think." She pulled out a device that held out a pair of visors that appear to be more advance than those of science classes. "Take a look."

I peered through them and almost fell from my seat.

The glasses took a layer off her to reveal her paralyzed skeleton. Then, another layer fell off to reveal her brain with a green, blobish second brain with tentacles attached to it.

"She is an Other," she answered before I could ask. "The only way to kill it is to kill the host as well."

I swallowed as I continued to stare.

 _She is just a young girl. She doesn't deserve to―_

She pushed something into my hand.

A controller . . . .

. . . . With a single button.

"Remember what I said earlier? That you were going to help fight the Others?" she asked with a dark tone.

She leaned down near my ear. "Prove it to me. Prove your worthy of fighting the war."

I looked at the button . . . . Then at the girl.

"No, don't look at the girl. Look at the monstrosity."

She pulled the visor in front of me. The green brain clung disgustingly to the girl's brain. I held back a gag.

"What do you think happened to your family? Who do you think killed them?" she shouted at me. "Look around at what use to be your home, your planet?"

I saw waste everywhere in my mind. Disease in every breath I take. I look at the girl― the Other― in front of me.

I took a deep breath . . . . and pressed the button.

The girl jolted from her seat as electricity coursed through her. The voice in my head twitched uncomfortably at the horrifying sight.

A thought hit me.

 _Am I an Other?_

"Good," the woman spoke with pride. "There will be a soldier waiting outside for you. He will take you to your squad."

She pushed me to the door before she began to fix the table. "I'm Reznik by the way."

I closed the door behind me.

I shuddered.

 _I killed a girl._

 _I just killed a young girl._

Throughout my weeks in the woods, I never killed anyone. I may have shot a few people before, but I never killed them.

 _She was an Other,_ I tried to reason with myself. _She was a killer alien._

 _She was still a little girl,_ I threw back, _And I just killed her._

The soldier grabbed my arm and took me through more hallways until we stood in front of a door. The door to my new life . . . . to my new squad.

I twisted the doorknob and entered the room.

The room was filled with bunks and my fellow soldiers. They all turned to the sound of the door opening. I gulped as I waited for their reaction.

The soldier behind me spoke. "This is Squad 53, private."

He turned to the others in the room. "Squad 53, welcome your new member . . ."

He waited for me to finish the sentence.

"Phoenix. Call me Phoenix."

Squad 53 came forth and introduced themselves.

 _Dumbo._ A boy with tan skin with glasses gave me a smile and shook my hand.

 _Flintstone._ The cute boy came forth to shake my hand, but I noticed him trying to get close enough to see my cleavage. I was happy to move away from him.

Please tell me not every boy here is a perv, I begged quickly.

Luckily, they weren't.

 _Oompa._ A pale fifteen year old boy with short hair gave me smile and a nod. He gave me an analyzing look at me before leaving.

Poundcake. The dark skinned boy only nodded at me and headed to a bunk.

 _Tank._ A young red-haired boy with freckles came before me. I just had to hug him! He was an adorable little boy!

 _Teacup._ A little girl with blonde hair bounced on her feet with a giant smile on her face. I also gave her a hug.

After a few more minutes, I saw Sam enter the room with a nervous look. I rushed toward him immediately.

"Sam, you're okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Yeah," he said. "They said I was to be called Nugget now."

"That is so adorable," I whispered.

At the statement, he backed up from the hug and gave me a disgusted look that only made me laugh. Minutes later, the door opened once more to reveal the last person . . . . or so we're told.

 _It was Ben Parish._

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **I apologize if their {few bits of} personalities were wrong I'm just basing it off the movie, for I haven't read the books yet. I just recently got the first one.**

 **Please R &R.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


	6. Our World, Our Home

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type** **of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hello, Fanficters! I don't have anything to say today . . . Again. I hope you had a good day with your family and friends. I present to you . . _. Chapter Six: Our World. Our Home._

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes/Phoenix_ **~•~**

* * *

 _"Where are you?"_

I stood by the window staring at the stars above. The rest of Squad 53 was sleeping in their bunks with their peaceful dreams.

Two bunk beds away, Ben Parish slept with tousled brown hair.

The introductions went fast when he came to join us. I only remember hearing him say _'Call Me Zombie'_ before I nodded at him and left him without a word.

I looked at the new clothes Camp Haven had provided. Unluckily, they had to take our backpacks and old clothes to keep us trained with what we got— even my gun was taken away

The only person with a personal items was Ben.

Vosch entered the room and gave him a locket— his sister's locket. After giving Ben his stuff back, he gave him a pep talk— Well, more like shouting— which seemed to only anger Ben.

I took one last glance out the window before going to Zombie.

I took a seat at the edge of the bed and examined the damaged caused by the invasion. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face seemed slimmer than before. His eyes flitted under his lids in panic.

I tugged a strand of hair away from his face.

"Oh, Ben," I whispered.

I stroked his dark hair with a mixture of relief and worry in my heart. _You were so much happier before this,_ I thought. _I wish I could . ._ .

"Phoenix?" Ben said groggily.

"Yeah," I answered. "It's me."

He gave me a confused look. "Why are you here? You know regulations. No getting out of bed during lights—"

He didn't finish the statement when I lean forward and kissed him.

 _I can't lose you. I just can't,_ I thought with a fire in my heart.

Ben tensed for a second, but he hesitantly kissed me back. He answered back with a mixture of exasperation and fright and . . . _passion._

He cupped my face to deepen the kiss with an extra vigor in his kisses. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought us closer together. A thought flash through my mind.

I broke away. "Tell me . . . it's not . . . because of the invasion."

He shook his head. "No."

We immediately collided with each other like nothing mattered anymore.

Like time was frozen.

As if there was nothing that could touch us.

There was just us in the world.

I lost myself as I fell deeper into his kisses and the softness of his hair. His hands held me closer to him, and he gently brushed my face with his thumb occasionally

 _I love you, Ben Parish._

A few minutes later, we broke apart and stared at each other. I leaned forward and cupped his face just like he did mine. I smiled at him . . .

Then I began to strangle him.

 **~•~**

 _"Phoenix!"_

I stood up in sweat with Teacup at my side, shaking me. I stared at the little girl's innocent face and felt the need to cry.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Yeah," I said, wiping the tears away. "What time is it?"

"It's five o' seven," she said, uncertainly. "You slept through the alarm. They gave us until five-ten to dress up and clean up the bunks."

"Oh, shoot," I groaned.

I scrambled out of bed and grabbed the bag from the base of my bed. When I got inside the bathroom, I quickly dressed into the assigned black long sleeve shirt and camouflaged pants.

The moment I left the bathroom was when the knob began to twist and a voice began yell. Reznik stepped into the room with a sneer. "In line, Privates!"

I stood in front of my bunk as did the others.

Reznik walked around and inspected each bed, one by one. Most of the beds were neatly made except for mine and Flintstone's.

Luckily for me, I was the last one to be expected because she made a disgusted sound as she stood in front of the boy. She stood in front of him and kicked him harshly in the knees.

Surprised, Flintstone bent over to cover his injury. "Sh—"

"Private, what is this?" she interrupted.

"My bunk," he retorted through the pain.

"Have you ever thought that if we were to make camp in forest somewhere and we left this mess behind . . . That the Others could track us easily?"

"What?" He said, dumbly.

"They have years and years of advancements!" she shouted. "They could have created a device that can track humans through measly items such as a sock!"

Flintstone stood silently in pain.

"You're lucky it's only day one, or I would have made you train until you dropped dead," she said casually.

She walked towards me. "Right, Private Phoenix?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," I said steadily.

She grinned cruelly and turned to face all us. "Alright! Vosch shall give you an initiation speech before we start the _simple_ tasks ahead."

She led us through the dark hallways and into a huge room where people our age or younger stood in lines, awaiting today's scheduled speech. After the room was full, Vosch stepped up onto the platform ahead.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child," he began. "I thought and reasoned as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. Those words never meant more to me than they do right now, looking at all of you.

"Our hope. Our future. The best and the brightest vision of who we are and what we're fighting for. Our intelligence tells us the Others are readying themselves for a final attack . . . The 5th Wave."

The anomaly began to stir more as the words were spoken. _We just got confirmed the 4th Wave was true . . . And now you're telling us there is going to be a 5th one!_

 _ **Humanity. Humanity has tried to kill each other for centuries and centuries. We are only helping them achieve their goal,**_ the voice said.

"What form it will take, we do not know. If they are successful, there will be no more Waves. No more conflicts. Humanity as we know it will be wiped from the face of the Earth."

Tension filled the room.

"Now, I'm going to tell you some things I know. This is our world. It is our home. They will not overrun it. They will not possess it. So whatever time we have left, you will learn to think, speak, move and fight like the soldiers you are.

"Let the weight of our loss fuel you! Let the weight of our dead embolden you! Let the weight of our hope drive you to victory! Can you do that?"

Nobody answered.

 _"Soldiers, can you do that?"_

"Sir, yes, sir!" we shouted.

 _"Can you do that?"_

 _"Sir, yes, sir!"_

He looked into our eyes and saw the seriousness inside them. There was a fire burning in my heart as I looked around and saw no sign of my family.

I'm doing this for them . . .

. . . For me . .

. . . For _humanity._

"Good," he said.

~•~

At the end of the speech, they dismissed us towards our designated areas. Reznik and the leader of Squad 19 led us outside for training.

We jumped over a line of bars with each of our bones aching and heavy breaths puffing out loudly. Many of the members would either clumsily go over and land with a stumble or with perfect balance.

A girl from Squad 19 jumped each bar with ease as if she had done this throughout the years. I saw Ben staring at her and a small burn of jealousy hit me.

"Be—Zombie, snap out of it," I snarled at him, jumping a bar.

"Shut it, Phoenix," he muttered.

I stumbled on the next bar.

"Nice one," Zombie said sarcastically.

"Like you're doing any better," I retaliated.

After an other thirty minutes, they took us— Squad 53— inside the shooting range. They gave each of us— even Teacup and Nugget— an M4A1 and told us to shoot the targets.

 _Oh, the targets?_ I thought scornfully as I put on the headphone mufflers. _I thought I had to hug it._

Almost immediately, I figured out we were the worst Squad at shooting. The Squad would miss and hit the walls behind the targets.

The closest person to hit the target was me.

I'm not bragging. Really, I'm not.

I only managed to hit the target's lower stomach.

Sure, I had a gun before this mess, but I wasn't exactly good at it.

These guys had no past experience with a gun or any kind of weapon before all this, or

After that horrible mess, we were sent back outside and received backpacks. They were filled to the brim causing running around the base to be even harder.

We ran for hours on end.

"I hate this," I would mutter with every step of the way.

I stared at Zombie as he ran with a look of determination. A memory slipped into my mind of him— the old Ben Parish— jogging around the football field with the same look.

We were dismissed and lead back into our quarters. I stumbled my way towards my bed and a sigh of relief was heard.

I couldn't have been happier to hit the bed then that day.

* * *

 **I hoped you enjoyed it!**

 **Please R &R.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


	7. Schedules and Paintball

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** "The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions." ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hi, Fanficters! Sorry for the delay, I had a bad writer's block. To make up the months Cassie missed in the film/book, I'm going to add filler chapters to create a bond in the group.

Elements of the book— Such as schedules, positions, and training— will be added in, but it still will be set in the movieverse. I just didn't want you confused. This scene is based off the actual bits of scenes from the movie. Now, I present to you . . . _Chapter Seven: Schedules and Paintball._

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes/Phoenix_ **~•~**

* * *

Months has passed since our first training day and not much has gotten better.

During that time, the adults hadn't arrive. I asked one of the nicer sergeants what had happened to them, and the sergeant said they had died on the way due to humans controlled by Others.

I spent a few weeks along with Sam crying for the loss of our family and friends.

Reznik continued to grill us on every aspect of our lives. From the bed's neatness to our shooting, she would make a big deal out of the smallest things.

 _"What is this!"_

 _"It's a disgrace for the human race!"_

 _"You're more useful dead, private!"_

That was a few nice remarks that she said to us all. That didn't stop any of us from continuing the harsh task ahead . . . It just made us hate her more.

She did this on daily basis.

Most of our schedule went like this.

 **5:00 - 5:10 a.m.:** Wake up and wash up. Dress and make the bunks for our future pains and aches which is quickly followed by a bad tempered Reznik checking our tidiness. She then takes us outside to run three laps.

 **6:30 a.m.:** We eat our food in a crowded mess hall and check our scores on the board for marksmanship, best times, air drills, and two-mile run from the previous day. We were stuck in tenth place for the last few weeks.

 **7:30 a.m.** : Ever since our arrival, training has been Camp Haven's top priority. They had us work and learn techniques for hand-to-hand, basic urban/wild survival, recon, communication, and the use of weapons.

 **12:00 p.m.:** We eat our lunch which is some type of mystery meat. Dumbo would joke about what it's contents could possibly be.

 **1:00 p.m.:** Training seems to never want to end. During this part of the day, we would most of our time on the shooting range in which I tease Zombie on his terrible aim as he does mine.

 **5:00 p.m.:** Our dinner time at our lovely protectors' home. All the food would be canned which consists of peas, meat, and fruit.

 **6:00 p.m.:** As soon as I heard Reznik was our permanent senior drill instructor, I wanted to kill myself then and there. Unfortunately, Reznik— at her squad leader/private time— would yell all she wants and discourage us even farther, and then she would ask us if we had any questions or concerns.

 **8:30 p.m.:** My favorite time of our miserable day. We are free to do anything we want . . . As long as we stay inside. I mostly play cards with Nugget and Teacup, who always bring a smile on my face.

 **9:30 p.m.** : The light are out and we ponder what is currently on our heads until we end up making ourselves sick with confusion.

Sound like fun, right?

We were so use to this schedule that we were confused when they sent us to a set of buildings with squads all around us.

"We decided to reward you for the great amount of work you've accomplished," Reznik shouted. "To make the training even more fun, we will have a game of paintball to test your speed, reactions, and agility in a battlefield."

Murmurs began to fill the air.

"Quiet!" she hissed. "This test will not be easy. Every place you enter will hold a trap that would disqualify your team at any moment. Squad leaders, prepare your troops!"

Flintstone— our squad leader— quickly turned the group towards the weapons table where we each were handed a hard chest body armor, a helmet, and a fully loaded paint gun.

The instructors gave us exactly ten minutes to position ourselves around the area. Flintstone stealthily led us beside one of the building at the northern corners of the arena.

We waited for five minutes, and Flintstone still hasn't said anything.

"What's the plan?" I asked him, frustrated.

"I don't have one at the moment," he muttered quickly.

"You— _What?"_ Zombie said, nearly shouting.

"I didn't plan anything okay," he said, angrily. "I just thought we would . . . Just go for it."

"After months of intense training, you want to _'just go for it',_ " I said, incredibly. "Are you stupid? If this was a battle—"

"But it's not," he retorted. "This is _training_ not a real war. What do you say we do if you think you're so smart?"

I pursed my lips. "Well, we can't go without one."

"We should create waves," Zombie said, suddenly.

"Waves? I'm sorry to tell you this, Zombie, but we're not the freaking Others!" I half-whisper, half-shouted.

"Not killer Waves," he said, annoyed. "I meant sending groups of people, Phoenix. We'll send two of us as a distraction while the others take them out."

I looked back at Flintstone.

"It's your call."

Flint contemplated the thought before saying," Ok, we'll go with Zombie's idea, but don't forget . . . I'm leader."

After shooting a look at Ben, he separated the group for the operations. An alarm sounded and the games began to take place.

Flintstone and Dumbo scurried across the road when the first shots of paint hit the wall next to them. A boy from Squad 23 shot three more times before they threw themselves behind a pile of rubble.

During this, the rest of the group ran towards the back of barrels behind the boy. Ben shot him causing the private to fall over in surprise. I searched the area as the two boys continued their journey forward.

Shots could be heard from other groups all across the field. The noises kept the group fidgeting from the constant paranoia and adrenaline in our veins.

We continued to run for a couple of feet when someone shouted my name and tackled me into the ground. I look up to see Zombie inches from my face with a scowl.

"You should really look behind you're back once and awhile, Phoenix," he said before pushing himself off me.

I stared at the splash of paint next to us. It meant to hit me, but Zombie . . .

I flushed red from both anger and the close distance from the angry Parish. "Are you sure that was the only reason why you grabbed me?"

He shook his head as he blushed and gestured me at the two defeated figures from the roof of a building. "I think I have a single solid reason."

"Good thing too. You're not really my type," I lied. _Of course, you're my type! I liked you since middle school, and can't you see I'm blushing furiously here?_

"Sure," he said, rolling his eyes.

I brushed the dirt off my equipment and quickly looked around at the group. Suddenly, I felt a hard thump in my chest. "Where's Nugget?"

Flintstone seemed to noticed my grim expression, for he and Dumbo ran back to us in a fast pace. "What's wrong?" He asked.

 _"Nugget!_ Where is he?" I shouted, nervously. "Where is—"

"There!" Ben exclaimed.

He pointed at a building where most of the action took place. Nugget stood confused as he seems to be desperately looking for us.

"I'm going for him," I announced before Ben grabbed my arm. "What, Ben?"

He blinked at the mention of his real name before saying," Going out there is suicide and you know it, Nicole."

I held my breath and spoke as calmly as I could. "A squad sticks together at all times. I— We need to get him."

Ben looked at me and Nugget for a few seconds. He seems to come to a conclusion because he quickly turned to the squad.

"Come on, squad!" he ordered. "Rescue mission starts now."

Flintstone began to protest along with Tank, but the group marched ahead to the desperate boy. The two boys gave up and followed while trying to avoid elimination as the shots started to concentrate on us.

When we got closer, I grabbed Sam quickly, and the group entered the nearest building. We huddled close to the walls and waited for a few minutes.

I looked at Sam.

"What were you thinking wondering around—"

Sam perked up at the sight an object on the floor. He grabbed the Spiderman figure from under a plain bed and presented it to me and Ben.

Ben shouted at the sight of the string when the bed exploded with purple paint covering all the room. The group sat shocked and dripping as a thought repeated itself continuously in my head.

 _Reznik is going to kill us._

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Sorry if it's bad!**

 **Please R &R.**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist.**


	8. I Love You, Ben Parish

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hey, Fanficters! I'm sorry I haven't updated for awhile. Life is just a mixture of too much homework and slight writer's block. Anyway, the beginning is a deleted scene from the film. I present to you . . . _Chapter 8: I Love You, Ben Parish._

* * *

 **~•~** _Nicole Haynes/Phoenix_ **~•~**

* * *

"You are pathetic! You were in there for only thirty minutes!"

 _ **Humans are particularly pathetic,**_ said the anomaly.

 _Oh, shut up_!

Squad 53 stared at the ground trying not to flinch as Reznik insulted us with a continuous rage. She went up to Flintstone hit his helmet as if knocking on a door.

"Was this your idea?" she hissed.

He shook his head and quickly glanced at Zombie. That was all it took for her to piece together the puzzle. She walked up to Zombie with a deadly gaze.

"Something you want to say, Zombie?" Reznik asked. "Got a soft spot for little kids?"

Zombie stayed silent as she taunted her.

Reznik seemed unsatisfied with his reaction and gave way to a different strategy. "What was your little sister's name? Corsey? Missy? Sissy? Sissy."

Zombie tensed at the sound of his sister's name. _Come on, Zombie,_ I thought. _Don't give her what she wants._

"She died in the earthquakes, right?" she continued. "Fell all three floors on the concrete?"

I tighten my hold on the helmet in my hands. I could only guess all the thoughts that would pass through Zombie's mind as she took the cruelest turn of all. Nobody should go that low . . . Even Reznik had no right.

"That's enough!" I shouted. "You may be our leader, but you have no right to—"

I fell onto the concrete as a sharp pain flared on my cheek. Reznik had slapped me. _She_ had _slapped_ me. She ignored me and went back to Ben— no longer Zombie— who was lost in the sea of memories.

"Before she fell— as she screamed for help— did you even try to help her?"

"Go to Hell—" Zombie said before he was punched in the gut. He bent over holding his stomach while trying to gain his breath. He looked at me for a second, and an emotion flitted across his face.

Reznik didn't feel like it was enough and flicked out her baton. "You think I'm mean? There is no such thing as mean or nice anymore! There's only predator or prey!"

"Which are you?" she demanded, pointing her baton at every private in our squad. "Which are you?" She yanked me up from the ground and harshly pushed me back in line. "Which are you?"

Zombie stood back up as Reznik came up to him and spat at him. He didn't react causing Reznik to grin, a deadly one at that.

"Come here," she said, like she was talking to a dog. "Come here, Zombie. Get!"

Zombie approached her and awaited her next words.

"See, Zombie here still has some fight in him . . . I like that," she stopped with a contemplated look. "Fifty-three! Meet your new squad leader."

I looked at Flintstone. He seemed to be relieved and upset over Zombie's promotion. I couldn't blame him. He suffered the most with Reznik then the rest of us.

Reznik dismissed us back to our compound. When we entered our room, I leaned on the doorway as the rest of Squad 53 tossed themselves onto their bunks.

I sighed. _When will this invasion end?_

"Are you okay?" said someone behind me.

I turned and saw Zombie with a smudge of purple paint on his face. I smiled a little at the sight of his worried face. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

He pointed at my red cheek, and I shook my head. "I'll be fine. It's not the worst she's done."

He hesitantly touched my face sending a trail of sparks in its wake. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks probably reddening the injury.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. His face to seem to be flustered as well.

"Yeah," I whispered, shyly. "I-I should go take a bath."

I rushed away from him and grabbed my clothes before heading to the showers. After stripping off my gear and clothes, I stood under the cool water and let my blood return to its normal temperature.

"Why?" I whispered," can't I let you go?"

 _We are being invaded by aliens! We are preparing for war against them! If anything happens to him during this, I . . ._

I let the thought linger.

 _ **It would be one less to kill** ,_ the anomaly said. _ **It would also be less pain whenever you have to mur—**_

 _Stop it! You don't know what he means to me._

 _ **He means one step closer to the ending of a plague on this planet. A simple boy is nothing but trouble and a pest.**_

 _That simple boy had survive five ways sent by things like you. He is the only thing that would help us—humans—not you._

The voice stayed silent.

"I love you, Ben Parish," I whispered," but I have to let you go."

I shut the water— quickly getting dressed— and headed out the door. At my bunk, Zombie was bent over holding a small can. He looked up at the sound of my footsteps.

"I brought you some salve," he said. "It seems Reznik hit you harder than you thought."

"Is it bad?" I asked, nervously.

He smiled. "Nah, you can see a bit of a bruise. That's all."

"Thanks," I said, sincerely.

He left the salve on the mattress and stood up. I saw him head to the other side of the room to his bunk, but he suddenly stopped. After a minute, he quickly returned with a determine face.

"Prepare a bag," he said.

"For what?"

"We're taking a trip," he said, grinning. "Tonight."

"We'll get in trouble," I told him. "You don't know what Reznik will do to us if she found out that we snuck out of the compound."

"Come one, Phoenix," he said, teasingly. "It's the least I can do for you when you tried to stick up for me and got hurt doing it."

"I don't know."

"If you want to come, meet me at the track."

At that, he left and went to join the other guys. I stood there confused and heartbroken. I just can't do this. I have to—

"What was that about?"

Teacup was sitting on my bed as if she appeared out of thin air. The blonde girl looked at me with innocent eyes and a curious smile. "Is something going on with you and Zombie?"

"No," I said, trying to end the conversation.

"You have to tell me," she begged. "The boys are just . . . Too boyish. I need to talk to a girl for once in this terrible place."

I gave her a look. "You love Reznik and her antics. I think you're pretty entertained most of the time."

"You still get bored after that," she said. "Please, tell me!"

 _"No."_

"Why don't you want to tell me?"

 _Because I have to have him hate me . . ._

 _. . . By tonight_.

* * *

 **I hoped you enjoyed it.**

 **I'm sorry if it's a bit choppy and/or fast-paced.**

 **Please R &R**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


	9. Ghosts From Our Past (Part 1)

**Summary:** She never knew what to feel about what happened. She never knew if people had to fight liked her. Though these last moments she had, all she could do was just . . . Think. Think of all that happened. {Movieverse}

 **Pairing:** OC/Ben Parish (Zombie)

 **Changes to Character(s):** N/A

 **Spoilers To:** 5th Wave Movie/Book

 **Books Belongs To:** Rick Yancey

 **Type of Story:** Chapter-Filled

 **Quote:** _"The universe doesn't give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions."_ ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

 **A/N:** Hi, Fanficters! Sorry for the delay. I had trouble with how I wanted this chapter to turn out. I think I got it, but please tell me what you think! Also, do you like the new cover for the story? I made it myself! I present to you . . . Chapter 9:

* * *

~•~ Nicole Haynes ~•~

* * *

I was a complete wreck.

Ever since Zombie told me to wait for the signal, I had been tossing and turning throughout the hours of the night. Multiple points bounced around in my head, but none of them seemed satisfactory.

 _Making someone hate you . . . Easy, I thought. Someone you like . . . Not so easy._

 ** _Killing, on the other hand—_**

 _Oh, shut up._

I had thought of many reasons to say but none of them seemed to be something he would be offended by or it doesn't matter nowadays.

I sighed.

I heard the rest of Squad 53's snores as my thoughts continue to go in circles. I heard a slight rustle and saw Ben heading towards me with a bag slung over his shoulder.

"You ready?" Ben whispered.

I nodded. "Are sure about this, Zombie? If we get caught, who knows what Reznik or even Vosch will do," I said, nervously.

"What's can they do? They already have enough problems with the Others to worry about two teenagers," he answered with a smile. "Anyway, what's life without a little risk?"

I still wasn't convinced, but I had to go through with my plan. I grabbed my bag from under my bunk before following him towards the door.

Before he could turn the knob, I grabbed his arm and said," Isn't there a guard out—"

"I took care of it," he said, opening the door.

I looked out and the guard was nowhere in sight. We walked through the halls quietly and everything seemed to go well. Though, I couldn't help feeling tense at every corner we took, but Ben seemed to be confident throughout the whole thing.

We reached the hangar, and he signaled me to run once we crossed the doors. Quickly, we snuck towards the slightly huge doors.

We looked outside and saw lights from the watchtowers moving around searching for any approaching intruders, or in this case, escapees. This is why he wanted us to wear dark clothes, I thought.

"Where are the buses and the helicopters?" I asked, remembering the day we arrived.

"They won't arrive until later in the night," Ben responded "Eleven o' clock to be exact, so we have an hour to be away from the Base."

I looked at Zombie with a questioning look. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. Trust me, Phoenix," he whispered.

"I do. It's just—"

"It will be worth it. If we do get caught and something bad happens, I will take care of you, Nicole Haynes. I promise."

I smiled at him and looked outside again. I felt something touch my hand. I searched for the source and saw he had grabbed my hand. He gave it a squeeze. "Ready?"

" One . . ." I counted.

" Two . . ." he continued.

 _" Three."_

He tugged on my hand as we ran across the field . We dragged each other away from the bright lights as they got closer. He would sometimes dramatically fall near one giving me a heart attack every single time.

I would then squeeze his hand as hard as I could as a warning. He only seemed to smile at my cautiousness irritating me even further.

Finally, we ran into the woods— not stopping for awhile— before we finally took a much needed breath. "Did you really have to do that? You could've gotten us caught," I panted, giving him a slight nudge with my hip.

"Yeah, but we didn't," he said, smiling.

I looked down to hide my blush when I saw him still holding my hand. I pulled my hand away and looked at the woods.

"So where are you taking me?" I asked, sitting on a nearby log.

Ben grabbed his bag and said," First things first. Did you bring the stuff."

"You make it sound like it's an illegal substance," I stated," but yes." I unzipped my bag and took out a can of food ad a few utensils from today's dinner. "What did you bring?"

"A couple of things," he said, taking a blanket out," for comfort."

"What's that?" I said, pointing at a glowing object in his bag.

"Remember that soldier you were talking about?" he said. "I did a few favors for him, so he's paying me back with a few warnings through this."

I thought emerged from my mind. "Did he also manipulate our trackers?"

He began to walk northeast when he said," They still think we're at the compound."

I followed him in silence as the astonishment spread through me. Why would he do all this for me? I thought. Unless . . . Unless, he likes me too.

Sweat began to appear on my palms as I panicked at the thought. He can't like me . . . He can't like me . . . He can't like me.

If that was the case, making Ben hate was going to be even harder. I knew how persistent he was when it came to his goals. He proved that once in school when he encouraged the school to donate for new football equipment, and the majority of the school donated more than enough money because of him.

"Zombie—" I started when he interrupted me.

"Ben."

"What?"

"Call me Ben," he said. "It's nice to hear my real name once and awhile." He looked back at the woods ahead. "We're almost there."

This is getting serious, I thought, or I'm just getting overly dramatic about this.

Probably, a mix of both.

"Ben—"

"Here we are," he said.

I turned and saw the woods open up for a glittering lake. The moon seemed to make the lake almost glow like it was made of pure starlight. The grass sparkled with light as fireflies began to light up with the bright stars above.

I couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of it.

"Do you like it?"

"It's amazing," I said, astonished. "How did you find this place?"

He sat down on a worn, dirty bench and pat the spot next to him. When I sat down, he spoke in a tired voice. "My parents brought me here with my sister before the Others came. This place, Bass Lake Lodge, was our favorite place to relax."

I was silent.

Everyone at the compound never talked about what was our past lives. There was never enough time for us to grieve during the intense training they had sent us through.

We had no idea how to comfort each other.

"Um, what are—were they like?" I stuttered. "Your family?"

He paused before saying," They were your typical parents—the supportive and caring type. They were always there for my football games and took care of me when I sick. They were encouraging me to apply for whatever I could to improve my chances in life.

"Whenever things became too tough, my dad would take me here and we'd fish for hours until the sunset," he smiled. "We would have competitions to see who caught the most fish. Mom would always yell at us for always coming late."

"Any reasonable mother would have," I commented with a smile. "I mean who would to stay out so late?"

He shook with a chuckle. "My mom was the most caring out of the two. She always checked we had our pads at a game and that we had the first aid with us. She always had a plan to get us the thing we needed or took us to the places we had wanted to go."

"So not only were you irresponsible, but you were spoiled?" I mused. "I never thought of you that way Ben Thomas Parish."

"Actually, my sis—"

Ben seemed to choke as the mention of his sister. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I know," I said.

He looked up at me with confusion. I shook my head. _You need to get this out,_ I wanted to say, _to lift the weight . . . Even if it's too painful to say._

"I'll tell you later. Tell me about her . . . About Sissy," I whispered.

He gave me a shuddering breath.

"My sister was the most loved in our family," he whispered. "I think she took that to her advantage sometimes." He chuckled at the thought. "She was innocent. Too innocent. She would always see the bright side of things and always smile during hard times to encourage us. She would never hurt an animal."

"She sounded amazing," I whispered, gently.

"She was, and I couldn't save her," he sighed. "I can still see her screaming, pleading as she feel down. I can still hear the _crack_ as she hit the ground, and how everything went silent until it was me screaming at her to wake up."

He slumped down and didn't continue.

I counted to three before I said:

"I lost my family on the First Wave . . ."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Sorry, if it's kinda bad. It took me awhile to find out how I wanted it to go, but I think it went well enough.**

 **Please, R &R!**

 **\- Soldier Of The Mist**


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